The present invention is directed to a binder for receiving loose papers, and more particularly, to a binder for receiving loose papers, the binder having a hole punch.
Binders are used by students and professionals to store loose leaf papers and other loose items. The binders typically include a binding mechanism, such as a conventional three ring binder, to bind the papers together. However, many papers, such as hand-outs, photocopies, large or irregular-sized papers, and the like do not have pre-punched holes. In these cases, holes must be punched in the papers using a hole punch mechanism before the papers can be received in the binder. However, a hole punch may not always be readily available, and it can be difficult to predict when a hole punch may be needed. Furthermore, standard hole punches can be quite bulky and heavy, and therefore inconvenient to carry. Accordingly, there is a need for a binder that can form holes into a paper such that the papers can be received in the binding mechanism of the binder.
The present invention is a binder having a hole punch mechanism. The hole punch is preferably mounted to the cover of the binder, and is configured to punch holes in a piece of paper such that the punched paper can be received in the binding mechanism of the binder. The present invention eliminates the need to carry a separate hole punch, and ensures that a hole punch mechanism is available whenever unpunched papers are desired to be placed into the binder.
In one embodiment, the invention is a binder for receiving and retaining loose leaf papers comprising a cover, a binding mechanism coupled to the cover, and a hole punch coupled to the cover. The hole punch is configured to punch a set of holes in a sheet of paper such that the binding mechanism can be received through the set of holes to receive and retain the paper in the binder.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.